


Ultra Eclipse

by RocketAngel16



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Child Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pokemon Battles, Pokemon Journey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-19 04:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29868933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocketAngel16/pseuds/RocketAngel16
Summary: A young trainer from Kanto and a mysterious runaway cross paths one fateful day during a Spearow attack on Melemele Island. Realizing that their Pokémon-centric goals align in the most unlikely ways, young Selene convinces this odd Lillie girl to stick with her for safety. And together, the girls travel across the Alola region, meeting and catching all kinds of Pokémon and battling trainers of all stripes while they try to solve the mystery behind the strange Pokémon Lillie calls Nebby... and in the process, deal with dangerous threats from in and outside their universe.
Relationships: Burnet-hakase | Professor Burnet/Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui, Guzma/Plumeri | Plumeria (Pokemon), Kaki | Kiawe/Mao | Mallow, Lilie | Lillie/Mizuki | Selene (Pokemon Sun & Moon)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. Vacation! Selene's Alolan Adventure Begins!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is your girl Andi trying something a lot bigger than the cutesy oneshots I've done! While there's gonna be gay shipping elements between Selene and Lillie, I want this fic to be a proper big, fun Pokémon adventure! It's gonna be a long fic, so fair warning! Also, this fic is kind of meant to be my own take on what I wish Ultra Sun and Moon were like, though there are a few normal Sun and Moon elements here as well. Plus, a bit of my own original flavoring, so to speak. You'll see what I mean when I'm further in the story! 😂 Have fun reading, y'all!

"Buzzy Boy, USE POISON JAB!"

"Charizard, counter it with your Fire Punch!"

The stadium erupted into applause as a bee Pokémon with enormous stingers for hands traded vicious blows with a black-scaled, blue-bellied dragon Pokémon whose tail and mouth were uncontrollably pouring out smoldering blue flames. They darted and weaved around each other like a pair of human boxers, unable to break each other's defenses while their trainers looked on.

"It's down to the wire, folks! Only one Pokémon remains on each side! Will Lance defend his championship title, or will young Selene from Viridian City pull off the upset of the century?!"

"Just give up, girl!" Lance snarled, beads of sweat pouring down from his impressively spiky red hair, "Your Beedrill may be strong, but even he cannot stand up to the majesty of the Dragon type!"

He had a point: Buzzy Boy may not have taken the full brunt of the Mega Charizard's punches, but it was clear that his innate Fire-type weakness wasn't doing him any favors. His antenna were drooping, and his breathing was heavy while Lance's Charizard continued his assault.

"We'll see about that" the young trainer replied, smirking as she adjusted her odd red flower-shaped beanie, "Buzzy Boy, its time to put your ultimate move to the test! The secret weapon that'll win us the Championship: USE OUTRAGE!"

A collective gasp rocked the audience to their core, while Lance audibly choked up at the sound of her command.

**"NO!"**

Buzzy Boy tensed up, and buzzed with renewed fury while he was enveloped by a smoky purple aura resembling a dragon's head. And when Charizard uncaringly threw another fiery punch at his head, Buzzy Boy swatted his fist away before viciously beating the dragon down with all his power. Charizard cried out in pain while his trainer screamed in fear, and Selene whooped joyfully as she leaped into the air in celebration.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT FOLKS! SELENE'S BEEDRILL IS TEARING CHARIZARD APART WITH ITS SECRET WEAPON: OUTRAGE, OF ALL THE CRAZY MOVES! I DON'T WANT TO JINX IT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE SELENE'S GOT THIS IN THE BA-"

* * *

"KAKU! KAKU **NAAAAAAAAAA** **!** "

Selene woke with a start, yelping as her eyes were suddenly enveloped by a wad of sticky webbing. Thrashing around in bed, she kicked off the covers before yanking the wad of webbing off her face, squealing as her face stung in the process. Sitting up, she glared down at her little attacker: a Kakuna, a supposedly harmless cocoon Pokémon that could still make a real rascal of himself. While his chitinous body betrayed no emotions, she could see the sneakiness in his shiny black eyes as he stared up at his trainer from his spot at the foot of her bed.

"Buzzy Boy!" Selene whined as she got out of bed and pouted at her little troublemaker, "Why the heck did you do that?! We almost beat Lance, you little pest!"

She heard giggling from the doorway to her cabin, and realized that her tan-skinned, cheerful mother was having a quiet laugh at her expense, as was the pink-eared and tailed Meowth perched on her shoulder who was appropriately named Pinky. "Sorry sweetie, but the captain announced that we're an hour away from the Alola region! So hurry up and get dressed, because we've got a busy day ahead of us!"

Moaning childishly through a yawn, Selene rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Do I _haaaaaave_ to?" She asked in the whiniest way possible, "If we've got an hour left, can't I just sleep through it?"

"I suppose you can." Mom said, shrugging, "That is, if you want to miss the breakfast buffet~"

_***Groooooowl*** _

Selene gasped and clutched her rumbling belly with both hands. "Nonononono, I don't wanna miss _breakfaaaaaaaaaast_!"

Grabbing her change of clothes for the day, she dashed to her cabin's bathroom with the speed of an Arcanine, leaving Mom, Buzzy Boy, and Pinky to all laugh together while she frantically changed out of her PJ's and got dressed. And it didn't take long for Selene to step back out, looking surprisingly tidy for such a rushed job: flower-shaped red beanie, a flower-print shirt that was tied in a knot right above her navel, green shorts... all-too appropriate attire for their new life in the tropics.

"I'm ready, mom! How do I look?"

Her mom giggled. "Like a beautiful young lady raring to start her Alolan Pokémon adventure!"

"I thought so!" Selene said, grinning. "Now come on, let's go eat already! I'm starved!"

"Gladly, I'm feeling a bit peckish myself! Come on, Buzzy Boy!"

While mother and daughter raced out of the cabin hand-in-hand, Buzzy Boy followed them out by plopping onto his side and rolling with surprising speed after them.

* * *

Now that she had a chance to eat and get some food in her, Selene had slowly began to realize just how good her fortune truly was. Here she was, eating a delicious Alolan feast on the deck of the S.S. Anne herself, a luxurious cruise liner most could only dream of boarding! And she was headed en route to the Alolan region, a beautiful tropical paradise with amazing environmental and Pokémon diversity, where she and her mother would be living for the foreseeable future: all because of her mom's connections at work.

Back in Kanto, Selene's mom was a teacher at the local trainer's school, as well as an instructor and referee at the nearby Trainer House. And thanks to her role as a representative of the Indigo league, she was among the many employees who were approached by Alola's equivalent to the respected Professor Oak: a man named Kukui. Her mom was very hush-hush on the details, but apparently Kukui was looking for people who could help with a Pokémon training project, and was using his own government connections to bankroll funding for those people to move into and live in the Alola region. It was a really suspicious and weird affair, but Selene figured that pigging out would be a better use of her time than directionless theorizing, so she continued devouring a pair of grilled meat and vegetable skewers as if she were a voracious Snorlax.

"Hey Buzzy, you enjoying your meal?"

The Kakuna, whose face was buried unmovingly in a shallow bowl of tapioca pudding rolled over and slowly rose a claw in what seemed to be his version of a thumbs up.

"Glad to hear it! What about you, mom? Or Pinky?"

A muffled "Nyah hah!" was Pinky's response as he devoured a plate of scrambled eggs, and her mom nodded as well.

"Indeed! This pineapple upside down cake is _excellent!_ It's like Arceus himself dropped a dessert from the heavens and onto my plate!" She took a bite and moaned joyfully before swallowing. "Oh if all Alolan food is this good, I'm afraid I'll gain a hundred pounds before the month is over!"

"Hey, at least it'll help you find a boyfriend! Ms. Lang back in Kanto said that Alolan guys like chubby girls!"

"I suppose I'll have to take her word for it!" Finishing her slice of cake, Selene's mom started on a slice of banana bread. "So anyway, what are YOU looking forward to most in Alola?"

"The Pokémon, duh!" Selene said cheerfully, "Did you know that there's this scary ghost anchor Pokémon?! Or a big electric bug?! I've even heard that some Pokémon from back home have different forms here! Oh, I just can't wait to catch 'em all!"

"I've heard of them!" her mom said with a nod. "I'm thinking that I might catch one of Pinky's Dark type cousins at some point! He could really use a playmate... or a girlfriend!" She winked playfully at Pinky, who blew her off with a "Nyagh" before eating another handful of scrambled eggs.

"Although..." Selene sighed sadly. "I really wish Alola had gyms! I never got to take my Gym challenge in Kanto..."

Buzzy Boy looked up from his pudding, and said "Kak kak..." in disappointment. But unlike the mournful duo, a look of surprise was on Selene's mom's face.

"Oh goodness! You don't know about the island trials, then?"

"Island trials?"

"Kukui said he'd fill you in, so I'll let him explain once we arrive at Melemele!"

Suddenly, Selene's Pokégear rang, and when she saw who was calling...

"Ooh! I can have him tell me right now!" She pressed the call button, and placed it to her ear. "Hi Professor Kukui!"

"Heh, well you must be Selene! Your mom's told me all about you, ya know!" an energetic voice answered, "Anyway, I just wanted to check up on you guys. Are you close to Melemele Island yet?"

Selene looked up from her food and looked straight ahead. And yes, they were getting really close! The island was in view, and close enough to where she could see people and Pokémon walking around the busy streets of Hau'oli City.

"Yeah, we're a few minutes awaaaaaay OH MY GOSH!"

Selene felt bad about screaming into Kukui's ear, but she was caught too off guard to control her volume. Three Mantine, large manta ray Pokémon native to Johto had just leaped over the S.S. Anne, and had people riding on their backs! The riders gave energetic cries of "WOO HOO!" before they splashed down on the other side of the cruise liner and swam off.

"What happened, cousin? You guys didn't hit an iceberg, did you?" Kukui asked jokingly.

"No way, silly! These guys riding Mantines just jumped over our cruise ship! It was like they were flying or something!"

"Well that's a heck of a way to be introduced to Mantine surfing! Just so you know, that's one of the _many_ things you can look forward to here in Alola! There's also Pokégolf, Hau'oli's Battle Buffet, the Island Challenge..."

"OOH, OOH!" Selene cried, once again blasting Kukui's eardrums with her volume, "I was going to ask about that! What are the Island Trials?! Or challenge, or whatever they're called? Are they like the gym challenges back home?!"

"Sorry cousin, can't hear you over the ringing in my ears!" Kukui answered, laughing so she'd know there was no harm done. "Seriously though, that's a killer set of pipes right there! Was your dad a Loudred or something?! If I didn't know any better I'd think you just used Hyper Voice on me!"

"Oops... sorry."

"It's all good! I've had a Whismur use Screech right into my ear... three times! That was nothing!"

Selene's expression was a wide-eyed frown of confusion. _"He's being sarcastic... right?!"_

"So anyway, you wanted to ask about the Trials... well I'm sorry to say this cousin, but I'd rather tell you in person! It's just not the same over the phone, you get what I'm saying!"

"Dang it." Selene sighed.

"No worries, I'm a little busy now but I plan on swinging by your place later tonight! And I'll make the wait worth your while, don't worry!"

Selene sighed again, only to notice Buzzy Boy giving her the stinkeye.

_'Really? You're going to act like a big baby around the guy who welcomed you to his beautiful home region? You're eleven YEARS old Selene! Not eleven months!'_

She may not have been able to speak Kakuna, but she could infer his point and had to admit: he wasn't wrong.

"I understand. See you later, Professor!"

"Hey! We're on a first name basis, you hear? I'm not into all that formal mumbo jumbo!" he said with a laugh. "Anyway, catch you on the flipside!"

Kukui hung up just in time for the captain to make an announcement over the ship's intercom.

"Attention, passengers! We're just about to make port at Hau'oli City! Grab all your belongings, and once its time to leave, do so in an orderly fashion! I hope you all had a wonderful time here on the S.S. Anne!"

I sure did!" Selene said with a laugh. "What about you, Buzzy Boy?"

He nodded, causing Selene to laugh harder when he sent a few flecks of pudding flying.

"Your face is still messy, silly! Here, let me get you all cleaned up~"

Grabbing a napkin, Selene wiped off Buzzy's face while the Kakuna "Ka ka'd" happily at her touch. Immature goofball she may be, he was still proud to call her his trainer. And he couldn't wait until they started their "Island Challenge", whatever that may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, there wasn't much happening in this chapter, but the action starts later! Just wanted a fun, cute little thing to introduce y'all to the story with! 😙
> 
> Sooooooo since I want to engage with my readers, I've got a strawpoll for you guys: https://www.strawpoll.me/42747821
> 
> Just wanting to know, which starter do YOU want Selene to pick: the cute lil' round owl who becomes a cool archer? A cute lil' kitten who becomes a macho wrestler? Or the cute lil' clown sea lion who becomes a beautiful mermaid? You've got 12 hours to pick, and by that time I'll get started on the next chapter with the winner in mind!


	2. Toothy Mongoose, Foreign Starter! Selene's First Alolan Pokémon!

"So this is our house, huh?"

Selene and her mother stepped out of the taxi, which quickly disappeared down the dirt road of Alola's Route 1. Selene really liked it: the tall grass, hilly landscape, and pair of wild Pikachus staring from a nearby bush bought the routes between Pallet Town and Pewter City back home to mind. She couldn't wait to explore it, but unfortunately, her house came first.

But it wasn't the house she had a problem with: it was a nice and cozy little cottage that was a good thirty minute walk away from a nearby beach, and in a quiet patch of wilderness as opposed to a more urban locale. Her main issue? Unpacking. There would be a **lot** of it today, and even the moving company that transported their belongings over the sea could only help so much. As Buzzy Boy rolled out of the backseat and plopped down on the grassy ground, Selene huffed at the sight of his pitiful cocoon body.

"If only you could help us pack up, Buzzy," She said with a sigh. "But Arceus really didn't want to give you guys proper hands, did he? I always felt bad for you because of that, but I'm kind of jealous right now."

Laying on his back, Buzzy did the rough approximation of a shrug with his stubby scythe-like claws. _"That's just the way it is, Miss Selene."_

"Don't be such a gloomy Gus!" Selene's mom scolded playfully as she walked up the porch steps, "The mover's Pokémon will be more than happy to help us! We just need to guide them through the process!"

Parked near the house was a large moving truck where a portly, mustached mover was standing taking a water break.

"Thankfully miss, they don't need too much in the way of guiding! Oranguru are pretty danged smart, don't you know!"

Peering out the doorway was one of these "Oranguru", which appeared to be a white-furred ape-like Pokémon with shaggy purple neck hair that looked like a shawl draped around its shoulders. It nodded and hooted something that caused its trainer to nod in return.

"Anyway, I'll be more than happy to help you ladies in a bit! Just let me finish my drink real quick!"

"No problem! Now come on Selene, let's help the nice man and those adorable Pokémon unpack!"

_"Eh, may as well get this over with..."_

Selene followed her mom into the house, and was blown away by the sight that waited for her. Oranguru was among the Alolan Pokémon she hadn't quite read up on yet, so she wasn't sure what to expect from these goofy-looking monkeys. But like the man said, they were wicked smart. Probably because they were psychics! Four different Oranguru could be seen lumbering around, fanning themselves with a bundle of leaves while using their free hand to telekinetically lift and move furniture around. Their dexterity was perfect, and they set the couch, chairs, and TV down without banging them against the walls or damaging them.

_"Whoa... they're WAY better movers than the Machokes back home!"_

"Oh, you're all SO helpful! Seriously, thank you all so much!" her mom gushed, causing the Orangurus to smile and gently hoot in happiness, "But do you guys think you can humor this old girl for a bit?"

Selene rolled her eyes.

"For starters, I really like what you're doing with the TV! But could you maybe skooch it over a _little_ to the left?"

_"Here we go!"_

The closest Oranguru stretched his arm forward, causing it and the TV to be enveloped by a faint purple aura before it was moved over.

"Alright, now a little more!" 

It was moved another centimeter over.

"A little more!"

And another.

"A little more..."

And another.

"A little more, but further this time- oops, hold on! You overshot by a teensy bit! Back a little to the right..."

Shrugging, the Oranguru did what he was told, but that wasn't quite enough to satisfy Selene's mother's obsession with orderliness.

"Oh no, you overshot it again! Back to the left..."

Pinky the Meowth yawned while Buzzy Boy eventually rolled his way into the living room, staring intently up at his trainer who sighed in annoyance.

"We're gonna be here for a while, aren't we?"

* * *

"Alright, good! Everything's now in order, thank you guys SOOOOO much!"

Three hours. THREE HOURS was how long it took for the Oranguru, their trainer, Selene, and Mom herself to unpack and situate everything. Granted, that wasn't too bad considering they had powerful and talented Psychic types helping them out, but still! Selene felt that if literally anybody but her mom was here, this would have been finished roughly 2 hours and 50 minutes ago. Selene collapsed onto the sofa, sighing with relief as the Oranguru and their trainer wiped the sweat off their brows.

"Oh thank god- I mean... thank YOU for the praise! We really tried our best, eh boys?"

The Oranguru all nodded, which made Mom laugh.

"You're all too sweet!" She reached for a wallet sitting on the coffee table and removed a few thousand Pokédollars. "Here, for services rendered!" While the man excitedly counted his money, Mom turned to the Oranguru and pointed at a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. "And as for you fine, hairy gentlemen, feel free to help yourselves to a banana or two!"

Smiling, one Oranguru helped itself to a single bunch of bananas, and when he saw that they had to split six bananas four ways, he merely used his telekinesis to slice the bananas up into pieces, and give himself and his friends exactly a fourth of the total pieces. As they lumbered outside and slowly ate their bananas slice by slice, Selene's mother plopped down on the sofa right next to her daughter, and sighed deeply while Pinky jumped into her lap and got comfortable.

"Whew! I am BEAT! How about you, sweetie?"

"Yeah, that took a lot out of me." Selene admitted as she sank further back into the couch cushions and absent-mindedly stroked Buzzy Boy, who was also resting in her lap. "Can I be honest with you, mom?"

"Sure!"

"If we ever move again, I'm gonna lock you outside until the moving company's gone!"

Selene may have been too tired to do much more than sit listlessly on the couch, but her mom's laughter was infectious. She was at least able to manage a weak chuckle of her own.

"Gotcha." She yawned and blinked her eyes. "Well, I think I might lay down for a nap. How about you, dear?"

"Oh YEAH." Selene agreed as she too yawned, "I'm gonna hop into that fluffy bed upstairs and never, EVER wake up again."

"Never ever?"

"Well, never ever until I get hungry, at least." She giggled at her own dumb joke while Buzzy Boy just stared up at her in silent judgement. "But seriously, nothing is ever, ever, EVER gonna be able to wake me back up. At least, not for a while..."

A knock on the door would challenge that statement, as would a familiar voice calling out from the porch. "WHOO! Hey Celeste! Selene! You guys mind if I come in for a bit?"

Selene jumped right up off the couch, sending poor Buzzy Boy flying across the room while her mouth fell open with joyful shock. _"Oh man, oh man! I forgot Kukui was coming over! He better explain just what this Island Challenge thingy is!"_

"COMING!"

"Well that perked you back up!" Her mom said, grinning.

Selene threw open the door, and found a tall, handsome man standing on the front porch. A man who her mother immediately swooned over, ogling his abs and chest which were shown off by his open labcoat. Selene was impressed by just how muscular he was since Pokémon research didn't seem like the kind of thing that would keep one physically fit. But it was his face that drew her in as opposed to his body: it was youthful, and yet Kukui's goatee gave him an air of authoritative maturity that she respected.

_"Wow, he's actually kinda cute!"_

"So I finally get to meet little Selene in the flesh! Good to see you, cousin!"

Selene took Kukui's hand and eagerly shook it, smirking as she felt the steel of his wedding ring against her fingers. _"Sorry mom, but he's taken!"_

"This is a real nice home, Celeste!" Kukui announced as he walked into the living room and took a good look around it and the nearby kitchen. "I'm impressed! Didn't think you guys would settle in so quickly!"

"We had plenty of help, Professor!" Celeste said with a smile, "Those Oranguru movers are very good at their jobs!"

"Well of course they are! Those guys are wicked smart, right up there with Alakazam! Wouldn't surprise me if one decided to take on an Island Challenge some day! And speaking of..." he flashed a playful grin at Selene, who was downright giddy with anticipation. "I've got something mighty important to discuss with your kid!"

"Come on, tell me! Tell me!" Selene begged Kukui "What's the Island Challenge like? Is it like the Gyms back home? Can I start one right now?!"

"Whoa, whoa! Hold your Horseas, kid!" Kukui laughed, gesturing for the girl to back off just a tad, "I can dig the enthusiasm, but I can't explain anything if you're yapping like a Rockruff!"

Buzzy Boy cackled roughly, and Selene glared quietly at him before Kukui went on to explain things.

"You're right though: trials are to us Alolans as the Gyms are to you Kantonians! And Johtonians. And Hoennites. And Sinnoans. And- aw, you get the point! It's a huge undertaking spread across four," he held up the appropriate amount of fingers, "Count 'em: four islands! And each island has a series of tough-as-nails challenges that will put you and your Pokémon to the ultimate test!"

Ultimate test, huh? Selene wasn't sure what to expect from such a vague description, but that was all part of the fun, wasn't it? Not one for being spoiled, she decided not to question him about it.

"But as tough as they are, they're some of the BEST experiences kids your age can face! If you can pull it off, you'll walk away a better strategist, critical thinker... and with a better understanding of what makes your Pokémon tick!"

Selene looked down at Buzzy Boy, who was now standing erect as he looked curiously up at her. "Learn what makes them tick, huh?"

"Yep! You may think you know that Kakuna of yours like the back of your hand, but from my experience? You don't _really_ know a Pokémon 'till you guys have gone through thick and thin!"

"I dunno Kukui, I think you're overestimating Buzzy Boy!" Selene said with a laugh, ignoring the unimpressed glare the Kakuna shot her way. "There's not much to him: he eats, sleeps... and that's about it! Though he'll fight for me when I want to, isn't that right, lil' buddy?!"

Buzzy Boy rolled his eyes the best he could, but his face took on a rosy glow as Selene swept him up in her arms and gave him a big Bewear hug.

"Heh, that's right! Your mom did say something about you already having training experience..."

"You bet!" Selene bragged, "I've only been battling for two weeks, sure, but I've learned a lot from school! Mom's a great teacher!"

"Oh, honey! You're making me blush!" Celeste laughed while Kukui smirked.

"Well, you're confident in your abilities, aren't you?"

Selene nodded. "Yep! I haven't lost a battle yet, you know!"

"Heh. Well there's always a first time! YUNGOOS, COME ON OUT!"

Selene gasped as Kukui pulled a Poké Ball out from his labcoat pocket and flung it, summoning a long brown rodent Pokémon with a tuft of blonde fur on its head and a nasty set of huge fangs.

"What the heck-?!"

"First rule of Pokémon training: you've gotta be ready for a battle at all times, even when it's inconvenient! Yungoos, Bite that Kakuna!"

"WHOA! Buzzy Boy, Harden!"

Buzzy Boy tensed up, and his skin turned a solid silver just in time for Yungoos to bite down on him. The Loitering Pokémon growled in frustration as he lifted Buzzy Boy off the ground and began violently shaking him around like a chew toy.

"Hey, leave him alone you dumb rat! Buzzy Boy, String Shot!"

Buzzy Boy shot a strand of webbing from where his mouth would be, and caused Yungoos to cry out in surprise as his eyes were enveloped by the sticky string. Buzzy Boy was freed in the confusion, and he stood defiantly as the Yungoos began tearing it off.

"Good, he's distracted! Now use Poison Sting!"

"Dodge to the right little buddy!"

"Oh dear... and after we got everything so nice and orderly?!" Celeste remarked in concern as Yungoos was forced to blindly run towards the right as Buzzy Boy rose his claws and fired a hail of poisonous needles, "Please be careful!"

"You've got a point, Celeste. Here!" Kukui opened a nearby window and whistled for Yungoos. "Come on buddy, let's take this outside!"

Quickly stopping and removing the webbing from his eyes, Yungoos nodded and growled before running towards the window.

"Quick, seal the window off with String Shot!"

"SELENE!"

Buzzy shot more webbing ahead of Yungoos and created a solid web that the poor Pokémon was caught by when he tried to leap through. Panicking, he snarled up as storm as he squirmed and struggled with all his might!"

"Uh oh!"

"Uh oh's right!" Selene boasted, "Quick, Buzzy Boy! Hit him with Poison Sting until he faints!"

"Come on Yungoos, get outta there now!"

Like a gatling gun, Buzzy Boy rapidly pelted the trapped Yungoos with another flurry of needles. The noodly mongoose's squirming and snarling intensified due to the pain, and he was able to free himself from the webbing and drop to the ground. He was covered head-to-toe in needles, looking as if he had gotten on the bad side of a Qwilfish while he panted and drooled a bright purple liquid.

"Aw, geez! You've been poisoned, haven't you?"

Yungoos nodded weakly, and cringed as a surge of pain hit him.

"Well that's no good!" Kukui turned to Selene and held up a hand. "Alright cousin, I'm calling it quits! You win!"

"YES!" Selene cheered as she pumped a fist into the air! "That's what you get for underestimating me!"

"I didn't underestimate anything. You're exactly as good as I was expecting!" Kukui said as he returned Yungoos to his Poké Ball. "You adapted to being thrown into a sudden battle pretty well, and the way you blocked off that window was genius! You've still got a lot to learn as a trainer, but that was a solid bit of improv! You're just as good at battling as Celeste said you were, which makes me think that you're the right gal to entrust one of these little guys to!"

After Kukui pocketed Yungoos' Poké Ball, he opened the left side of his labcoat and revealed three more balls attached to it with binding straps of Velcro. Selene gasped in happiness, realizing what was about to happen.

"No way! You're giving me one of your Pokémon?!"

"Sure am! I've been meaning to find a home for these little guys, and this is a good start! So here, take your pick!"

Kukui tossed ball after ball, releasing a trio of small and adorable Pokémon right at Selene's feet. The first was a round, tan and cream-colored owl, who had a pair of leaves on his chest that looked like a cute little bowtie. The second was a black and red-furred kitten with huge yellow eyes. And the third was a cute little sea lion pup, colored blue with a pink nose that was just BEGGING to be booped. Overwhelmed by the cuteness, Selene clasped her hands to her cheeks and let out a piercing cry of "OOOOOOOH!" before crouching down to their level.

"Oh my GOSH! You guys are so cuuuuuuuute!"

They all seemed quite flattered: the owl did a happy little spin, the kitten started purring, and the sea lion clapped cheerfully. Selene looked up at Kukui with big puppy-dog eyes.

"Can I have all of them? Please?!"

"Sorry cousin, but you get one and ONLY one!"

"Aw..."

"I know you like them all, but you've gotta learn to share! I'm planning on giving them all away to other trainers, so it wouldn't be good to hog them all, okay?"

"Okay, okay..." Selene sighed. "So could you tell me more about these guys?"

"Sure! This little guy is Rowlet!" Kukui explained while pointing at the round owl, "He's a Grass/Flying type, and he's got strong legs and razor sharp feathers! In between those pointy talons and pointy feathers, he'd really compliment your pointy future Beedrill!"

Rowlet hooted and let his head spin around in a perfect 360, causing Selene to laugh.

"This little guy down here is Litten! His kind are moody little Fire types that are kinda cold and distant. But don't let that aloofness fool you! They're loyal to a fault, just... make sure you don't pet him too much. 'Cause those flaming hairballs smart."

Selene took note of a few faded burn scars on Kukui's muscled arms and giggled while Litten yawned and stretched.

"And last but not least: here's the Water type Popplio! She's surprisingly acrobatic, and can create tons of watery balloons to battle with! Definitely a good choice if you want a playful partner!"

Not wanting it to just be hearsay, Popplio leaped into the air, doing a perfect 360 backflip before landing and striking a happy pose.

"There you have it, cousin! So which one of these guys do you want as a partner?"

"Hmm... well..."

Selene couldn't decide, not at first anyway. It was such a hard decision! Each Pokémon was equally cute, and had a lot of potential as a solid partner. Looking at Buzzy Boy for guidance, she noticed him pointing at Popplio. Indeed: her Water typing would definitely help cover his weaknesses to Rock and Fire types. But Litten was also cute! And she liked the idea of giving Pinky a feline friend to play with...

"Hoot hoo!"

And then, Rowlet spread his wings, showing off a bit of green plumage before taking off and landing on Selene's head. He spun around, hooting some more before loosing his balance and falling into her lap. All she needed was one look at those adorable eyes as they bugged out in surprise to make up her mind.

"Rowlet! I'm gonna choose Rowlet!"

It was sad to see Litten and Popplio sulking. But Rowlet's overjoyed hooting as he flew around the living room kept Selene from feeling too eaten up about it. She and her mother laughed as he attempted a loop-de-loop that resulted in him crashing face-first onto the floor. The little guy bounced into the air and shook it off like it never happened, though the blush in his cheeks made it clear that it was still a tad embarrassing for him.

"I dunno about you guys, but I think he's happy to hear that!" Kukui laughed jokingly as he tossed Rowlet's Poké Ball over to Selene. "Anyway kiddo, I'm curious: since you've obviously nicknamed your Kakuna, what about Rowlet? Do you have any cool names in mind for him?"

"Hmm..."

Selene picked up Rowlet and slightly tilted her head to the side as she studied him carefully, causing him to do the same. "You know... you look kind of like an Ollie. What do you think?"

"Hoo hoo... HOO!" Rowlet, or rather Ollie, was rather taken by his nickname given the vigorous nodding.

"Yeah! Welcome to the team, Ollie! With you and Buzzy Boy by my side, we're gonna take Alola by storm!" Selene declared triumphantly, pointing towards the sky. "Alright Kukui, where do I start?! Is there a trial back in Hau'oli City?! 'Cause I'm sure I can get there tonight if I head out the door right now!"

"Nope, you'd have to go further out than that!" Kukui said with a laugh, "It's at least a three days' walk to Ilima's trial, and I don't think you're currently situated to head out that far, now are you?"

"No..." Selene admitted with a sigh.

"No need to get all down in the dumps, the Island Challenge isn't going anywhere! But you can't just rush it half-cocked: not only do you need adequate supplies for the road, but you need a Kahuna's approval to start one! Lucky for you though, you live close to old Hala, and he's a real sweetheart!"

Selene perked back up. "How close are we talking?"

"He lives in Iki Town which is only an hour and a half away on foot if we power-walk!" Kukui turned to her mother. "Celeste, would it be okay with you if I took your kid to Iki Town with me? I'll make sure she has a safe trip, I promise!"

"You have my blessing!" Celeste said, nodding. "But before you two leave, why don't I cook something to fuel you up? It's half an hour past lunch, and I'd hate to have you start your Pokémon journey on an empty stomach!"

Selene's tummy growled loudly enough for everyone to hear, and she laughed sheepishly while placing a hand over it. "S-Sounds good! Heh heh..."

"Good! Just give me a second, and I'll whip up some banana pancakes for you both!"

"Woo! Sounds good, Celeste!" Kukui cheered as she headed to the kitchen. He crouched down to his Litten and Popplio, and held up their Poké Balls in both hands. "You guys ready to get back in your balls?"

Litten turned to Selene and meowed sadly, while Popplio held her head in shame.

"Why the long face? You guys'll both have new trainers before the day is over, mark my words!"

Pressing the buttons on the middle of the balls, both Pokémon were recalled in a flash of red light before he pocketed them. Selene was glad that they'd at least find new homes of their own, but she was curious about who the professor had in mind.

"Hey, Kukui?"

"Yeah cousin?"

"Who else are you giving Pokémon to?"

Kukui laughed. "A couple of other kids, believe it or not! One of them is Hau, who's the grandson of Kahuna Hala! And the other..." He sighed, his tone trailing off. "Well, _ideally_ I'd give one to Lillie, my new assistant. But... she's got issues with Pokémon."

Selene frowned. "Issues?"

"It's complicated," Kukui said, "And I dunno if it's my place to talk about it. I'm hoping that Pokémon as cute and friendly as these can help her come out of her shell, but we'll just have to wait and see."

 _"Issues with Pokémon..."_ Selene looked down at Buzzy Boy and Ollie, who were checking each other out, bobbing their heads and leaning around curiously as they tried to get a feel for one another. The sight was so silly that she couldn't help but giggle. Pokémon were such funny and amazing creatures, how could anyone have anything against them?

 _"I bet she's just a bad trainer!"_ she told herself with a snicker. _"Probably the kind of trainer who loses every battle and blames it on her Pokémon! Probably a real drama queen, by the sound of things."_

And with the sweet scent of pancakes cooking on the griddle, Selene's flippant thoughts faded away, and were replaced by fantasies of eating her weight in pancakes. But thanks to being caught up in her own little world, she was oblivious to the look of concern on Kukui's face as he stared off into space as he thought back to his assistant. And the rather... **odd** circumstances that bought her into his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So regarding Selene's starter: at the time I was writing this chapter exactly one person answered the strawpoll, and they wanted her to start with Rowlet! I also got a commenter who wanted Litten, and since there was a draw I decided to flip a coin which came up Rowlet. So sorry for the commenter who wanted Litten, ha ha! But don't worry, I'll try to find a way to make him relevent to the story, I promise! 😤🤪


	3. Nebbynapped!

**Three Months Ago... **

_"ALERT! ALERT! SPECIMEN COSMOG HAS BEEN ABDUCTED! I REPEAT, SPECIMEN COSMOG HAS BEEN ABDUCTED!"_

"Lillie, STOP!"

But Lillie wouldn't stop running. She couldn't. If she were to be caught, the consequences would be disastrous: both for her, and the innocent creature tucked away in her bag...

"Just hold on, Nebby! Once we find Miss Wicke, we'll be fine!"

Lillie could hear the footsteps of her mother's employees slowly, but surely gaining on her. Knowing that she was bound to trip up out of anxiety if she looked back, Lillie pressed forward as she hopped into the elevator and immediately set it in motion, leaving the Aether Foundation employees stuck at the bottom while she was lifted out of sight.

"Mr. Branch Chief, Lillie's heading upstairs! You're gonna have to mobilize a team to intercept-"

The elevator had reached an artificial jungle among the Aether Paradise's unnervingly clean white halls. The cries of unseen Pokémon made Lillie's heart race faster than it was already going, but she pushed ahead.

_"Just keep running, Lillie. Just keep running! Don't think about them, and everything will be fine-"_

Lillie rounded a corner, and screamed when she saw her exit route cut off by two of those odd strangers that had been visiting her mother: a stern pair of robotic-looking humans, one a cheerful young girl with an orange braid while the other was a stern, humorless man with purple hair. Their eyes obscured by visors, the sight of the girl waving cheerfully while the man pointed ominously was a terrifying one for poor Lillie. Her already pale skin had gone chalk-white with fright, and she turned back and ran down the route she came from like a rabid Ursaring was on her tail. Her traveling companion squealed and thrashed around in her bag, and she weakly gave it a reassuring pat.

"There's another path we can take!" she reassured it, "I don't believe there's been enough time for those employees to catch up to us-"

The second Lillie turned the corner leading back to the elevator, she let out a scream that was muffled by her being yanked straight into the air by the throat, seemingly by nothing. But standing in front of Lillie was a rail-thin man dressed in a fancy labcoat and oversized, tacky lime-green lenses over his eyes, who was stroking his goateed chin and smirking while a yellow Pokémon with bushy white neck fluff and a bulbous nose held her in the air in his telekinetic chokehold.

"My, my, my... **someone's** in big trouble, now isn't she?"

What Lillie _wanted_ to say was, "Please Faba, let me go!", but his Hypno's psychic grip on her windpipe made it impossible to speak beyond choked straining. The helpless girl kicked and thrashed helplessly in the air while a few Aether employees and the weird looking humans caught up to them. 

"Did you really believe that you could steal from us so easily? Or that we were even halfway as foolish as you?!"

Lillie wheezed helplessly as she felt her head grow fuzzy. The strange orange-haired girl looked on in concern while an Aether employee tugged on Faba's sleeve.

"Mr. Faba, let your Hypno release Lillie. Please! She could-!"

"That's **Branch Director** Faba to you, Tompkins!" Faba corrected with a hiss, clearly unable to give a Rattata's fart about the girl being throttled to death in front of him, "Either you can get it right, or you can hand in your resignation papers!" Turning towards the choking, flailing blonde, Faba went right back to smirking. "Though I daresay, firing is a small mercy compared to the punishment that's in store for this little brat!"

Lillie cried out through her crushed windpipe, her heartbeat thundering as she kicked around even harder. The bag slung over her shoulder was thrashing around just as hard, and a loud wailing could be heard coming from it. Rolling his eyes, Faba snapped his fingers. "Hypno, I command you to give me the bag! And after that, take her to her room for reconditioning..."

"Pew... PEEEEEEEW!"

Another loud cry silenced Faba as the bag was suddenly zipped open. Everyone present, even Lillie all stared at it as a bright purple light began to pour from the opening.

"KNOCK IT OUT WITH HYPNOSIS, HURRY! BEFORE THEY-"

With one final cry, Lillie and her bag vanished in a blinding flash of blue/purple light. Everyone present cried out as they covered their burning eyes, with Faba falling right over onto the floor right as a small purple ray shot through the ceiling and vanished. Hypno's eyes were bugging out in shock while the orange-haired girl gasped in innocent awe. The purple-haired man however, clenched a fist in silent rage...

* * *

_"Over here, Professor Kukui! She landed right here, through this big hole in the sky!"_

_"Geez, you weren't kidding! Nice work, Tristan!"_

_"No problem, professor! But is she gonna be okay? She won't open her eyes!"_

_"Hmm... good news, cousin! She's got a pulse and a heartbeat, but I'll call a doctor to make sure there's no lasting damage. In the meantime, let's get her situated back at my place. And if you'll watch her for a bit, I'm gonna call Burnet. She's REALLY gonna want to hear about this..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but the next one's going to be here before you know it! 3 and 4 were originally one big chapter, but since the pacing wasn't right I divided them! So Lillie's short, but hectic escape is going to be its own thing while I clean up the big, meatier fourth chapter! I should get it posted either later tonight or early tomorrow, just in time for the weekend!!!! 😄


	4. Spearow Skirmish on the Big Bridge!

"Whoa, Kukui! Look over there, check out that weird-looking bug!"

Crawling up a tree was a little grub Pokémon with a grey body and a brown face with a rim attached to the top of its head, as well as a pair of sharp pincers on its face that were orange and yellow. It clicked its pincers curiously before stabbing them into the bark. And when they listened carefully, they could hear a faint slurping noise.

"That "weird-looking bug" is a Grubbin!" Kukui explained, "These guys are pure Bug types, and as you can see they use those gnarly-looking pincers to slurp the sap out of trees! And when they evolve, they become the Bug/Electric Charjabug before becoming the even stronger, blindingly fast Vikavolt! It's a long and painful road to Vikavolt, cousin. But once you get one, it'll serve ya well!"

"Well if it'll serve me well, I suppose I'll CATCH IT!"

Selene reached into her drawstring bag, but the only Poké Balls she felt were Buzzy Boy and Ollie's.

"Oh yeah, I don't have any extra Poké Balls..." she sighed and put her bag back while she kept walking.

"Don't be sad! You'll have a ton of opportunities to catch one of 'em later, trust me! Alola's crawling in Grubbin!"

"But I want one noooooow..." She whined.

"Just wait until we're done with this Hala business!" Kukui said as they continued with their trek, "Then I'll get you situated with a few Poké Balls to call your own!"

"Okay, fine..."

A few birds flew overhead: birds that Alola's natives called Pikipek. She was enamored with their pointy beaks, beautiful red crests, and huge blue eyes. But they, like Alola's other fascinating Pokémon, would be off-limits for now.

 _"I'll catch one of you guys."_ She vowed to herself as the Pikipek flock flew off, _"No, I'll catch all of you! That way, I can take on the trials with my own awesome Pikipek flock!"_

As far as fantasies went it wasn't practical, but she had to admit that she really liked the idea of sending a huge flock of those adorable birds to bombard, peck, and tackle her opponents into submission. Imagining herself laughing evilly as her flock descended upon champion Lance back in Kanto, Selene's malicious grin worried poor Ollie, who was perched on her shoulder while she and Kukui could see a cozy town resting on a nearby hill, with an impressive mountain towering over it in the distance. 

"There's Iki Town!" Kukui announced while pointing at it, "Heh, glad to see that it's as lively as usual!"

They may have been a little ways away, but Selene was able to see all the tell-tale signs of a lively town's hustle and bustle. A little boy was playing fetch with a Rockruff, a Rock-type puppy Pokémon with pebbles nestled in its neck fur. While he played with his canine companion, a woman Selene assumed was his mother stepped out of a nearby house and got him a glass of lemonade that he happily accepted. Near another house, a man was chasing a rambunctious Tepig around, which was squealing like crazy while the man tried and failed to pounce on it. Selene giggled and smiled: as she and Kukui approached Iki Town, it was clear that it was a very small community. The cluster of log houses was smaller than Pallet Town back home, but she couldn't consider that a bad thing. The smaller a town was, the closer knit it was. Everyone seemed familiar with each other given all the smiles and casual chatting between passerby.

And even Pokémon battling seemed like a light-hearted and fun affair, given the cheer and merriment in the town square, where two local kids were duking it out with their Pokémon.

"Come on, Splashy! You can do it!" A tanned girl in a fancy shirt and green miniskirt yelled encouragingly to her tiny otter Pokémon, who looked adorably determined as he kept hacking at a tinier Pichu with a sharp scallop, "Cut him until you can't Cut anymore!" 

"Keep dodging, Sparky!" A similarly tanned boy dressed in a dark shirt and loud orange shorts called out, his upwards-facing ponytail bouncing in time to his own hyperactive movements, "Just wait for an opening..."

"Looks like Hau's enjoying himself, alright." Kukui said with a smile. 

"He's that Kahuna guy's grandson, right?"

"Yep! And even though he hasn't been training long, he's already pretty good! Just watch, Lisa doesn't stand a chance!"

The lass known as Lisa was sweating bullets as each of her Oshawott's strikes missed their mark. Splashy seemed to be good with his bladed shell, but not good enough to hit such a tiny and fast target. Sparky the Pichu on the otherhand was all smiles as he zipped around the arena. Feeling extra cocky, he pulled down an eyelid and waggled his tongue at the Oshawott, who got so angry that he leaped into the air and tried to come crashing down on him blade-first. But that would prove to be an awful mistake.

"Sparky, dodge!"

Sparky leaped out of the way, leaving Splashy to impale the arena's floorboards: cracking one that the blade proceeded to get stuck in. Gasping in fear, Lisa clutched her forehead in terror while he tried to get his scallop free.

"Whew! Alright Sparky, let's finish him off!"

"Forget about your blade, Splashy! Dodge!"

"USE VOLT TACKLE!"

"Volt Tackle?!" Gloria asked, gasping in awe as Sparky tensed up until an electric aura flared up around him.

"Yep! I let my Pikachu breed with his ma's, and she just so happened to be holding a Light Ball when she laid her egg..."

Oshawott made the rookie mistake of commiting to a huge dodge by diving to the side. Since Sparky had yet to let his Volt Tackle fly, he simply adjusted himself before flying at Splashy like an electric comet. He slammed into him so hard that there was a big explosion that sent both Pokémon flying out of the arena. Sparky slammed so hard into Selene's belly that she let out a pained "Oof!" before collapsing and landing on the ground butt-first, sending poor Ollie flying off her shoulder in the process. But Splashy hit a signboard that had plenty of notices and papers nailed to it. Splashy and Gloria were both dazed by how hard they were hit, with both seeing stars from sheer dizziness. But Sparky? The poor little fella was slow to get up and visibly dirtied, but the thumbs up he showed Hau was proof that he was okay.

"YEAH! We win again! Good job Sparky, now let's get you some rest!"

"You did your best, Splashy. Return..."

The flower in her hair nearly wilting, Lisa turned to walk away after recalling her Oshawott back into his Net Ball before Hau stopped her.

"Thanks for the battle, Lisa! I had fun!"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Well of course you did, you won!"

"Aw come on, you know I'd say the same thing if I lost!"

"Would you really?" Lisa asked. She shook her head before Hau could answer. "Whatever. I need to get my Oshawott healed up, that Volt Tackle was nasty..."

She ran past Selene, who had since gotten up to her feet while little Sparky ran up to Hau while excitedly yelling "Pichu Pichu! Pi! Pi!"

"You did it again, little guy! Man, that Volt Tackle has some nasty recoil, though..." Looking over at Selene, Hau rubbed the back of his head and laughed while she crossed her arms and pouted. "Sorry about that, by the way! I swear, you weren't supposed to get hit by- HEY! HEY!"

Now it was Hau's turn to be knocked on his butt, this time by a mass of swirling leaves fired by Ollie: his Leafage attack. The Rowlet landed on Selene's shoulder again, crossing his wings and glaring while Selene grinned smugly at the slightly embarrassed boy.

"Now we're even!"

"Yeah, I guess so!" Hau said, laughing again. "Anyway, a big "Alola!" to you, friend! I'm Hau!"

Hau raised his arms, put his hands together, and spread them out as if he were creating a rainbow: the customary Alolan greeting. Since Ollie's counterattack rose her spirits, Selene greeted him back with a "rainbow gesture" of her own. 

"Hi, Hau! I'm Selene! And the guy right here is-"

"Professor Kukui, yeah!" Hau looked over towards the professor. "Hey professor! Do you need something?"

"You bet!" Kukui said, pointing at a huge house situated to the left of a winding path into the jungle behind the village, "Is Hala home? Because miss Selene just moved here, and she's interested in taking the Island Challenge!"

Hau smiled at Selene. "You too, huh? Well, I hope your challenge is a good one!" Then he turned to Kukui. "But as for Tutu? I don't know: I think he left... thirty minutes ago? He was whistling to himself, so I guess he was just going on a walk or something."

"So we just missed him, huh?" Kukui asked while a confused Selene muttered _"Tutu?"_ to herself. "Ah well, at least we have an excuse to hang out around town for the time being! I should go see if Miss Elena has any homemade malasadas she can spare..."

"Well if we're gonna have to wait for the Kahuna..." Ollie jumped for joy and hooted cheerfully while Selene shot a grin at Hau. "Why don't we have a Pokémon battle? You seem like a good battler, and I'd love to test out my new Rowlet!"

"Thanks for the offer, but it'll have to be some other time!" Hau said, pointing at the exhausted, wounded Sparky. "My Pichu's gonna have to rest up before he gets into any more fights! How about tomorrow, instead?"

"Who said it had to be tomorrow?" Kukui asked with a cocksure grin on his face. He opened up the left side of his labcoat like he did with Selene, showing off his remaining two Poké Balls to an amazed Hau. "Hala wasn't the only reason I was visiting! I still you owe you a Pokémon for birthday, remember?"

"No way!"

"Yes way! You can pick either Litten the Fire starter..."

Litten came out of his Poké Ball and stretched before yawning.

"...or Popplio, the Water starter!"

Popplio came out of hers, and she barked cheerfully in a way that sounded like a goofy "Pop pop!" Hau was beside himself with joy and giggling in anticipation as he looked them both over. "Gosh, they both look so cute! But who do I pick...?"

Selene and Ollie traded sneaky glances. 

"Since we're going to battle tomorrow, you should totally pick Popplio!" Selene said insincerely, "She's WAY stronger than Rowlet!"

Kukui's stare was incredulous, and Selene laughed at the thoughts she could practically here swimming in Kukui's head.

_"The audacity of that little punk!"_

"Aw, come on!" Hau scoffed with a playful roll of his eyes. "Do you think I was born yesterday? Litten's the better choice!" Then he looked back at Popplio, rubbing his chin. "But Popplio's so darned cute too. Just look at that nose!"

Hau reached forward and pinched it, making a sound that reminded Selene of a bike horn. She and Hau both flinched before laughing, but Kukui grinned, not surprised at all.

"Oh gosh, as if this wasn't hard enough! I take it your nose doesn't do the same, right Litten?"

Hau squeezed the kitten's nose, and received a face full of firey hairballs in the process. His face ashen and hair scraggly, Hau shook his head.

"Nope, it doesn't."

Selene, Kukui, and even Ollie and Popplio were all laughing at Hau's misfortune, but Ollie suddenly tensed up and went silent.

"Ollie? What's the matter?"

Ollie's head was turned towards the jungle trail near Hala's house. Selene frowned and watched it carefully, only for nothing to happen.

"Huh. Did you see something?"

Suddenly, Ollie hooted right into her ears before soaring into the sky. He flew around in circles, giving a startled cry of "HOOOOOT! HOOOOOOOOOT!" before suddenly divebombing towards the trail and disappearing into the jungle foliage.

"WAIT, OLLIE! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!"

Groaning in disgust, Selene removed Buzzy Boy's Poké Ball from her bag. "I'll be right back, guys! Ollie's being weird!"

While she ran after him, Kukui stood back and watched as he thought over Ollie's behavior.

"Weird... my Rowlet's been perky since he hatched, but I've never seen the little guy freak out like that!"

"Yeah, it's totally weird, isn't it?" Hau asked, "But you know what I think? Tutu's said that during his walks on the trail, he's been seeing a lot more bird Pokémon than usual. Like, Pikipek, Fletchling, Spearow, Starly..." He grinned up at the professor, feeling confident in his answer. "What if he heard a mating call and is looking for his special someone?"

Kukui stroked his goatee. "It's possible, but I don't know." Retrieving an Ultra Ball from his labcoat pocket, he stared down at it as he ran his thumb over the button in the center. "Selene's a good trainer and Mahalo Trail has never been dangerous, but if they're not back in ten minutes, I'm going after them. Something feels off about this..."

* * *

"Ollie! OLLIE!" Selene was exhausted as she ran up the log stairway of of Mahalo Trail, too concerned with the little owl's welfare to take note of the beautifully carved tiki statues dotting the sides. "Geez, Ollie! Don't make me wear myself out before we go home, you dumb bird!"

Selene continued racing up the steps until her shoe caught on one of the logs, causing her to squeal before tripping and landing face-first in the dirt. Growling irately, she wiped the dirt from her face just in time for a certain round owl to hop her way. "HOOT! HOOT! HOOTIE HOOTIE HOO!"

"Alright Ollie, what's gotten into you? You just took off like a little weirdo!"

Ollie was hopping like crazy with his eyes bugging out of his head while he pointed further down the trail. He then suddenly put on a scary face and let out a sharp-sounding "SCREEEEE!" before suddenly cowering from an imaginary attacker with a little cry of "Meep!"

"Hmm... oh!" Selene gasped, "There's a scary Pokémon up ahead, and it's attacking someone?!"

Suddenly, a voice called out from further up the trail, a very delicate, soft voice that was ineffectively yelling at someone. 

"Stop it! Leave Nebby alone, please!"

Ollie looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"I know, I know, you were right!" Selene grabbed him and carried him under herarm. "Now come on, whoever that is, she sounds like she's in trouble!"

After blazing her way through the rest of the trail, her exhaustion in the back of her mind, Selene found a girl standing at the foot of a rope bridge. A very pretty girl too, Selene thought to herself as she approached her. Her long, pale blonde hair, fancy white dress, and matching hat gave her the impression of someone that came from a very wealthy background. But the helpless desperation in her tone as she shouted at a trio of Spearow that were flying over the center or the bridge said otherwise.

"I said STOP IT! He didn't mean to make you angry!"

"Hey, what's wrong?" Selene asked as she tapped the girl on her shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

The mysterious girl turned to Selene, whose heart skipped a beat when her beautiful green eyes locked onto her own set of greys. "It's my friend, Nebby! We were going to visit the ruins across the bridge, and these Spearow just... attacked us! I don't know why they would do such a thing, but Nebby got left behind when I escaped! I'd save him myself but..." she looked shamefully at the ground. "I don't have any other Pokémon!"

Selene looked at the bridge and gasped. This "Nebby", as the girl called him, was unlike any Pokémon she had seen before. He looked like a brilliantly-colored puff of smoke broken into three parts, with his "arms" going from a soft blue color that shifted into a royal purple around his face. As for face itself, it was pitch black with yellow eyes, cyan cheeks, and odd golden ridges that were placed to where they wrapped around his body save for the face. It was a perfect marriage of regality and helplessness, so Selene wasn't too surprised to see him cowering and crying "Pew... Pew!" while the Spearow flock circled him.

"Boy, the Spearows back home were nasty, and the Alolan ones aren't much different! But don't worry, I can handle them!" Selene noticed a rock at her feet and scooped it up, tossing it once into the air before whistling for the Spearows. "HEY, BIRD BRAINS!"

Selene let the rock fly, and it beaned one of the circling Spearow on the head, causing it to cry out in pain before it and its friends all glared daggers at her. There were three in total, which concerned her. Not just because of their superior numbers compared to her Pokémon, but also because thanks to being Flying types, Buzzy Boy and Ollie were at a disadvantage. Still, she couldn't just let that innocent little puffball get hurt.

"Yeah, I threw that! Come and get me, morons!" Selene yelled, pulling an eyelid and waggling her tongue just to tick them off further. And it worked, because they all let out one big screech before soaring right towards her. Gritting her teeth, Selene summoned Buzzy Boy onto the battlefield while Ollie got into position and held his wings like a martial artist would hold up their arms.

"Alright boys, let's roll! Ollie, use Tackle! And Buzzy Boy, cover him with Poison Sting!"

Nodding, Ollie let out a determined hoot and soared into the sky while Buzzy Boy fired off a hail of poisonous needles like a gatling gun. Crashing into the lead Spearow and knocking it a foot backwards, both birds engaged in a brutal Tackle duel while the other two screeched and trailed off in response to Buzzy Boy's painful needles.

"You guys are doing great!" Selene cheered while the Spearows curved around both sides of the bridge and came for her and her Kakuna, "Alright Buzzy Boy, knock those guys out of the air with String Shot!"

Buzzy Boy nodded, and fired a huge wad of webbing that bound one Spearow's wings and sent it crashing to the ground a few feet away from Selene and the mystery girl. But the other dodged, and its beak gleamed menacingly as it went right for Selene's face.

"Watch out!" the girl cried while Selene gasped and frowned. "Oh I can't bear to look!"

The girl hid her face behind her hands and whimpered, but uncovered them when she heard a powerful slamming sound. Selene had PUNCHED the Spearow right in its face, knocking it backwards while it desperately tried to steady itself. She gasped, and couldn't tell if she was horrified that someone would hit a Pokémon or grateful that her savior wasn't hurt. But Selene was just proud, grinning smugly as she threw up a "bring it" gesture.

"Come on, birdbrain! Why don't you fight someone who can hit back?!"

Cawing furiously, the Spearow flew in for another Peck, but was punched away again. Only this time, Buzzy Boy was able to get a lock on his target and knocked him down with String Shot. And over near the bridge, Ollie had hit his Spearow opponent with a Tackle strong enough to spike it over to the far half of the bridge, where it laid flat on its back while raising a twitching leg up in the air, out of commission for now.

"Wow, you... you actually won!" the girl exclaimed while Selene smugly thumbed her nose.

"What can I say? I'm a future Island Champion!"

Buzzy Boy's eyes narrowed while Ollie fluttered back. _(Try not to get a big head about this, Miss Selene.)_

Ollie however was just as hyped up as his trainer, and was hooting smugly at the trapped Spearows before knocking each out with a Peck to the head. Proud of himself, he did a little happy dance while the girl giggled at his goofy antics. _(We saved the day, pretty lady! How about a kiss as thanks?)_

He fluttered up to her hands and leaned forward in hopes of her giving an affectionate smooch on his head. But the blonde settled for a quick headpat.

_(Eh... I'll take it!)_

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome!" Selene giggled, blushing and smiling before turning to Nebby, who cocked his little head (body?) in curiosity while babbling out a quiet "Pew... pew?"

"Hey, Nebby!" Selene cried out, "It's safe to come over here! Those Spearow are gone!"

There was a series of squawks from behind Nebby, and when he turned around he saw the Spearow Ollie had defeated back on its feet. It was calling out to no one in particular, and yet it scared the poor Pokémon so badly that he couldn't bear to move.

"Nebby, please!" the mystery girl scolded as she thumped the long Poké Ball bag she was carrying, "Come back over here and get in the bag!"

"He might be too scared to cross! Here, let me help him!"

Selene crossed the bridge, oblivious to the fearful way Buzzy Boy was shaking his head. It wasn't lost on the mystery girl though; she looked down at the frantic Kakuna and frowned. "Oh? What's wrong, little bug?"

"Kakakak! KAKAKAK!" _(She needs to stay away from that bridge! More are on the way!)_

Ollie turned to him and hooted in confusion. _(More? How do you know that?)_

_(I've lived around Spearow for most of my life, I KNOW a distress call when I hear one!)_

Thanks to the language barrier, the mystery girl was only able to tell that they were concerned about something, and relayed what she thought was their warning.

"Be careful not to fall!"

"Don't worry!" Selene yelled as she carefully stepped across the wobbly, rickety bridge, "I just have to avoid putting too much weight on one foot, and... AHA! There we go!"

Selene scooped up the cute little puffball in her arms and snuggled him tight. She giggled at his softness: it was like cuddling with a cloud of cotton candy, and he smelled as sweet as the stuff as well! "You're all safe, Nebby! Now come on, let's get back to mommy!"

"Pewwww..."

Selene took another step over the bridge, only to roll her eyes while the Spearow kept squawking over and over again. "Hey, Ollie! Would it have killed you to Tackle him harder?! Now that Spearow's throwing a tantrum!" 

Suddenly, more squawks could be heard from behind Selene, over on the mystery girl's side of the bridge. And the sound of a _ton_ of fluttering wings made it clear that this was no tantrum. 

"HOO HOOT!" _(Run for it, master!)_

"KAKAK! KAKAKAKAKAKUNA!" _(SELENE, WATCH OUT!)_

A HUGE flock of angry Spearows, led by a lean, mean, long-beaked Fearow came soaring past the mystery girl, who squealed in fear while they bore down on Selene, who stared like a Deerling in the headlights while the Fearow's spear-like beak was aimed squarely for her gut.

"I... no... wha...?!"

"Pew PEEEEEEEEEW!"

There was an explosion of blue energy, and Nebby's failed attempt at teleporting caused the middle chunk of the bridge to be blown to smithereens. Selene screamed as she fell towards a raging river way beneath where the bridge stood, same with poor Nebby. With no time to process or think, Selene simply closed her eyes and hoped that the end would come swiftly, and that Nebby would be spared. She held the little Pokémon close to her chest and rotated her body to where she would cushion his fall.

And then it happened.

A scream.

A terrible, wrathful scream that caused the marauding birds, Selene's Pokémon, and the mysterious girl to all freeze up in shock as a ray of electricity shot up from the temple on the opposite side of where the bridge once stood. The electric ray curved into an arc that shot towards the bridge at blinding speed, cutting a trail like a comet as it soared down towards Selene and Nebby. And before they could hit the water, the ray suddenly grew a pair of black arms that scooped up the pair before veering back up into the sky. It flung the girl and the Pokémon to the ground where the mysterious waif, Ollie, and Buzzy Boy all crowded around them, desperately asking if they were okay before the savior landed in front of them. And as it turned out? This "ray of electricity" was a Pokémon. A very odd Pokémon that had Nebby soundly beaten in the weirdness department. It wasn't terribly big and was about as tall as Selene, and had a black humanoid torso that was covered in white markings while its lower body was a series of weird orange spikes. Its long arms ended with Kingler-style pincers pincers for hands, and had enormous yellow shell-like growths with intricate patterns attached to them, patterns that were similar to its white stripes. Its eyes were multi-colored and fierce, and the huge orange crest on its head was even fiercer. Definitely not the kind of guy you wanted to be on the wrong side of, but absolutely the type you'd like to be saved by.

"Wow... thanks for saving us!"

Selene's praise was met with the mystery Pokémon turning its head and speaking clearly in a low, growly, masculine voice. 

**"Stand back."**

Gasping, Selene and friends watched him turn back to the flock of Spearow, who were flapping hesitantly until their Fearow leader led the charge with a throaty shriek. They all soared towards the savior, only for him to envelop himself in a new electrical aura and fly towards them with blistering speed. And its small audience was dazzled by what was less of a fight and more like a light-show: the mysterious savior blitzed from bird to bird, sending each and every one of them flying into the distance as it plowed right through them as if it were a meteor. It saved the Fearow for last, but instead of carelessly blitzing through it, it grabbed it by its long neck and squeezed. The choking Fearow gasped and wheezed while it was spun around and around until it and its attacker looked like a psychedelic electric tornado, and the savior tossed it so far into the horizon that it disappeared in a twinkle of light. Satisfied, the strange Pokémon touched down in front of Selene, and stared her down while she held her hands together in joy.

"Gosh... YOU'RE SO COOL! I swear, I've NEVER seen a Pokémon as cool and strong and FAST as you!" Forgetting about her Poké Ball situation, a manic gleam shined in her eyes. "I've gotta catch you."

**"No."**

Selene yelped when the Pokémon beaned her in the head with a sparkling stone, which bounced off and soared into the air. The irate trainer caught it before it could hit the ground, and glared at the mean, stylish Pokémon.

"HEY! What was that for?"

 **"You're annoying."** The Pokémon stated bluntly, causing a scarlet-faced Selene to holler angrily. **"But fascinating. Take care."**

"No you don't, I want an explanation! Who are you? WHAT are you?!" The Pokémon enveloped itself in electricity and flew off, quickly vanishing into the distance. "CAN YOU AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT THIS ROCK THINGY IS?!"

There was no answer, meaning that this odd stone, with its intricate black and white pattern and odd colorful flecks, would be an enigma for now. And considering her savior's violent history, she was unaware of just how lucky she was to have it merely be rude to her...


End file.
